O’ Connor’s Theology & Musical Hope

I haven’t heard it in full yet but I’m looking forward to it. Here’s what one reviewer has to say:

“The most impressive thing about Theology is the pride, fury, and confidence that O’Connor communicates with her singing. Though she falls prey to the occasional affectations in her voice — which, for the record, have been present from the beginning — she now sounds completely connected to her muse. The material seems to flow effortlessly through her. It’s almost magical. In their passion and intent, her compositions resemble nothing more than the Old Testament’s Song of Solomon. These erotically charged hymns of devotion are expressed in the form of a dialogue between a bride and a bridegroom, and they seem to inform the whole of Theology. O’Connor is fearless in her explorations of the relationship between the divine and the human, and she never once pulls back from her trajectory. Most important, she never expresses her revelations in the form of dogmatic pronouncements or — what would have been worse, still — sentimental Sunday school verse. This is exciting new music of faith that should be given a chance, no matter what one’s own relationship with God and the idea of religion happen to be.”

Here’s a beautiful track:

I’ll admit, I hadn’t been too interested in new music scenes since the 21st century intersected our lives–I can enjoy most eras of popular music, but I claimed the early 1990s as uniquely my own. “Grunge” and “alternative” (when the latter designation meant something) were my staples. By 2000 commercial music seemed to have all the flavor and zest of yesterday’s cardboard.

My musical disaffection is starting to change, though. Artists like the White Stripes and Sufjan have restored wonder and fun to music, and faith-filled musings approaching the truly poetic are beginning to emerge, leaving behind the old “CCM” baggage. It’s an imperfect list to be sure, but I am attempting to chronicle something of the new music renaissance’s intentionally-spiritual side (as well as cataloging perennial favorites, “cool” or not) here.

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About Mike Morrell

Mike Morrell is the collaborating author, with Fr. Richard Rohr, on The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation. He's also the founder of Wisdom Camp, a retreat for mystical misfits, and a founding organizer of the justice, arts, and spirituality Wild Goose Festival.
Mike curates contemplative and community experiences
via Relational Yoga, the ManKind Project, and Authentic North Carolina,
taking joy in holding space for the extraordinary transformation that can
take place at the intersection of anticipation, imagination, and radical
acceptance.
Mike is also an avid writer, publishing consultant, author coach, futurist, and curator of the book-reviewing community, Speakeasy. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Asheville, North Carolina.

6 Responses to O’ Connor’s Theology & Musical Hope

Hmm…I kind of doubt it, but then again I don’t know. Do Corey Russell and company tend to play Sufjan or Sigur Ros during their night and day, harp and bowl worship? It’d be cool if I did. I’m inclined to think this is more the speed of Pete Grieg and the folks of the 24/7 prayer movement. This seques nicely into what I want to post about tomorrow…

She made an interesting reggae album a couple years ago. That was around the same time Willie Nelson made his reggae album. If you like reggae, neither album is up to par. But if you like Sinead or Willie both albums are a good listen.